Raw Oysters

Oysters are another risky food because people want to eat them raw. Most oyster outbreaks are traced to restaurants. Two microbes, known as norovirus and vibrio, cause most of the food borne illnesses from oysters. The vibrio organism is the more dangerous. It is closely related to the bacterium that causes cholera, an acute intestinal infection. Oysters can be contaminated from the water they grown in or by improper handling. More than 100,000 oyster-related illnesses occur annually with no known deaths. To prevent contamination, avoid raw or undercooked shellfish and keep cooking environments clean.